Vehicle security device having primary and display alarms - Patents.com

Abstract

A system having a theft event sensor, a primary alarm actuator, a display alarm actuator, and a vehicle security device for receiving a theft event signal from the theft event sensor, transmitting a primary alarm signal to the primary alarm actuator, and transmitting a display alarm signal to the display alarm actuator.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] (Related Applications) This application claims priority to commonly owned U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 323,702, filed March 25, 2022, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.

[0002] FIELD OF THEINVENTION The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for motor vehicle theft prevention (vehicle burglary alarm) including distributed visual alarm alerting to the vehicle's surroundings, and in particular to a vehicle security device having a primary alarm and a display alarm. [Background technology]

[0003] Early conventional vehicle anti-theft systems were installed in vehicles by the owner. Later, anti-theft systems became standard equipment for vehicles by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). These systems activate an alarm when a sensor is triggered to detect theft. However, some thieves familiar with vehicle anti-theft systems may quickly disable the alarm in order to successfully steal the vehicle. A typical vehicle alarm system emits a loud sound and a flashing light via a single actuator that can be easily taken out of service. Furthermore, audible and optical alarms have become so ubiquitous that their effectiveness as a theft deterrent is diminished.

[0004] What is needed is a vehicle theft prevention system having a primary and secondary alarm system that automatically notifies people in the immediate vicinity of a stolen vehicle that the vehicle has been stolen without the thief becoming aware of the notification. Summary of the Invention

[0005] According to one aspect, a system is provided having a theft event sensor, a primary alarm actuator, a display alarm actuator, and a vehicle security device for receiving a theft event signal from the theft event sensor, transmitting a primary alarm signal to the primary alarm actuator, and transmitting a display alarm signal to the display alarm actuator.

[0006] Another aspect provides a system having a theft event sensor, a vehicle audio alarm actuator, a vehicle display actuator, a vehicle security device in direct or indirect signal communication with the vehicle event sensor, the vehicle alarm actuator, and the vehicle display actuator, and a non-transitory machine readable medium containing instructions that, when loaded and executed by the vehicle security device, configure the vehicle security device to detect a theft event signal from the theft event sensor and send a primary alarm signal to the primary audio alarm actuator, and instruct a central computer to send a display alarm signal to the display alarm actuator.

[0007] According to a further aspect, a method is provided that includes the steps of detecting a vehicle theft event, detecting a theft event signal from a theft event sensor, transmitting a primary alarm signal to a primary alarm actuator, activating the primary alarm actuator, and instructing a central computer to display a visual alarm signal on a display actuator of the vehicle. The figures show an exemplary method and system for detecting an in-progress theft of a vehicle and activating a primary alarm of the vehicle's horn and lights, and a display alarm of a "Stolen Vehicle" message around the vehicle. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 shows a schematic diagram of a vehicle anti-theft system in which a central computer communicates with zone-based computers, which in turn communicate with alarm actuators and theft sensors. [Diagram 2] 1 shows a flowchart of the theft detection algorithm. [Diagram 3] 1 shows a flowchart of the theft detection and alarm display algorithm. [Figure 4] 1 shows a perspective view of the rear end of a vehicle with a warning display either on the vehicle itself or projected onto a surface in the immediate vicinity of the vehicle. [Figure 5A] FIG. 1 shows a front view of a vehicle having an alarm display in the vehicle grille. [Figure 5B] 5B shows a front view of the vehicle of FIG. 5A, with the text shown on the display spelled out backwards. [Figure 6] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a vehicle security device having a control circuit, a detection circuit, an alarm release circuit, a timing circuit, a display alarm circuit, and a primary alarm circuit. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the rear end of a vehicle with a warning display in a head-up display in the rear window of the vehicle. [Figure 8] 2 shows a flow chart of an anti-theft vehicle method. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Reference numerals for any illustrated element that appear in different drawings have the same meaning throughout the drawings, and any mention or discussion herein of any illustrated element in the context of any particular drawing also applies to each other drawing in which the same illustrated element appears.

[0010] The vehicle anti-theft system may include any display implementation that shows a message written in any human language generated by a vehicle LED / OLED matrix, projector, or head-up display to inform the surrounding environment of an in-progress vehicle theft without alerting the thief.

[0011] One aspect adds an additional distributed visual alarm to the vehicle anti-theft system. The system has a primary alarm and a visual alarm, where the primary alarm may include an audible horn and flashing headlights and running lights. The additional visual alarm may include displaying a legible message. The additional visual alarm may be difficult to disable (as it may be part of the standard automobile light system) and notifies the surrounding environment that a theft is being attempted while the stolen automobile is moving, which may help create further awareness of the crime in progress and may motivate witnesses to act to notify the police or take other measures to foil the theft. Notifying the surrounding environment of the ongoing theft only while the vehicle is moving prevents the thief in the vehicle from realizing that the vehicle is sharing a silent visual alarm signal to the external environment that it can respond to.

[0012] One aspect uses the vehicle infrastructure already planned for use in future vehicles (2025+) and adds new vehicle-to-human (vehicle 2x) communication features (in this context, x represents humans in the vehicle's surrounding environment). It evolves the vehicle's ability to act as a human-machine interface, where each vehicle moving on a busy road interacts with other drivers and pedestrians through audio and visual effects. Thus, the vehicle itself can also be considered as a human-machine interface to increase vehicle safety and security, showing silent visual warning messages during vehicle theft attempts, without adding cost to the vehicle bill of materials.

[0013] FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a vehicle zoned architecture 100 consisting of a central computer 110 (possibly with redundancy) connected via a backbone to several different zoned computers 112. The zoned computers 112 manage different specific functions in the vehicle, which are then connected to dedicated control units 114 that oversee specific functions such as controlling the lights, or securing the vehicle, or performing other specific tasks. In this particular application, when the vehicle user activates the vehicle alarm system, the vehicle security device 116 monitors the integrity of the vehicle and oversees the security of the vehicle using different event sensors 118 that detect any attempts at theft monitoring, such as unauthorized opening of the doors, breaking of the windows, unauthorized entry into the vehicle, unauthorized attempts to start the engine, or unauthorized attempts to move the vehicle (theft detection). In case of successful theft detection, the vehicle security device 116 activates the primary vehicle alarm system (audio alarm actuator 120 and display actuator 122). Activation of the audio alarm is performed via a direct wired connection since the audio alarm actuator 120 is directly wired to the vehicle security device 116, and activation of the display actuator 122 is triggered via a network event via the central computer 110 that controls all vehicle lights. Additionally, the vehicle security device 116 also uses the network event to notify the central computer 110 of theft attempts (see algorithm in FIG. 2). All logical connections in FIG. 1 can be bidirectional since communication within the different zone computers 112 can be ensured between all zone computers 112. Additionally, the illustrated sensors and actuators can provide diagnostic features that require bidirectional communication.

[0014] 1 shows a schematic diagram of a vehicle anti-theft system in which a central computer communicates with zone-based computers, which in turn communicate with task-specific Electronic Control Units (ECUs). In one example of a vehicle security device, the front light control unit and the rear light control unit may be connected to different zone-based computers. As a matter of design choice, the ECUs listed above may be connected to a single zone-based computer or may show a connection topology with available zone-based computers in the vehicle different from that shown in FIG. 1.

[0015] With reference to FIG. 2, one embodiment consists of a system and software algorithm 200 capable of controlling an existing vehicle lighting system based on a digital LED (Light Emitting Diode) or OLED (Organic LED) matrix, which displays a distributed visual alarm warning in the vehicle's surroundings, if a vehicle theft is detected. The algorithm can be integrated into the central computer 110 or into the zone-based computer 112 that supervises the vehicle security device 116. The algorithm can also be integrated into newly manufactured vehicles whose E / E architecture (Electrical / Electronic Architecture) is based on the zone-based architecture. The front light control unit 114 and the rear light control unit 114 can be connected to two separate zone-based computers 112. Alternatively, the front light control unit 114 and the rear light control unit 114 can be connected to the same zone-based computer 112 and physically implemented in the same control unit 114. The vehicle security device 116 can share the zone-based computer 112 with other control units 114.

[0016] Another aspect is LED / OLED matrix-based vehicle exterior lighting applications for next-generation automobiles, vehicles. These devices, originally planned to be used as exterior lighting, can also display silent warnings, as described above. Signal transmission from the central computer 110 and the zoned computers 112 to the exterior lighting can be implemented, for example, using a 10BASE-T1S-based control network, which can be used to connect the control units 114 with the corresponding display actuators 122 (LED / OLED matrix). Components such as LAN867X, LAN865X by Microchip Technology Corporation can be used to connect different nodes in the 10BASE-T1S network.

[0017] Referring to FIG. 2, an algorithm 200 for controlling the silent / visual alarm system may be implemented in the central computer 110, the zoned computer 112, or the control unit 114 as a matter of design choice. In this type of implementation, theft detection is overseen by the vehicle security device 116, but activation of the silent / visual alarm is performed by the central computer 110 or the zoned computer 112, so the silent / visual alarm system is designed as a distributed alarm system. This is made possible by a network event message that notifies the central computer 110 of the theft attempt. If the vehicle alarm system is active and theft is detected, the central computer (with or without redundancy) or the zoned computer may be woken up (eventually partially) and notified of the theft event by a network message that may include setting Theft_on-going to 1. FIG. 2 illustrates an algorithm 200 for managing the setting of the theft event in the central computer 110 shown in FIG. 1.

[0018] Referring to FIG. 3, an algorithm 300 for controlling the silent / visual alarm system may be implemented in the central computer 110, the zoned computer 112, or the control unit 114 as a matter of design choice. A flag "theft_on-going" 310 set to 1 may trigger the rear, front, and optional locator lights to display the message "Stolen vehicle", in some cases the message is shown only if the vehicle is moving and the legitimate user has not disabled the alarm signal. The message "Stolen vehicle" may be integrated with the message "Call police" and both messages may flash alternately. The flashing message "Stolen vehicle / Call police" may remain active at all times when the vehicle is moving until the flag "theft_ongoing" is reset to 0. The flag "theft_on-going" may be reset to 0 by a password or any biometric identification entered via the vehicle human-machine interface. The password (or hash for biometric identification) may be stored in one of the automobile's computers using cryptographic hardware or software technology such as Microchip TrustAnchor (TA100). If the value of the flag "theft_on-going" is equal to 1 and any vehicle door is opened with any legitimate vehicle unlock method, the vehicle's human machine interface may signal the user that a theft attempt has occurred and the distributed vehicle alarm system may show a "stolen vehicle" message until entering a password / fingerprint via the vehicle's human machine interface is deactivated. The algorithm 300 may determine whether the car door was legitimately opened (320). If YES, the algorithm 300 displays on the human machine interface a request to enter a security code, biometric authentication, that will disable the alarm (330). If a code was entered, the algorithm 300 determines whether the user entered a legitimate code (340).If YES, the value of the flag "theft_on-going" is set equal to 1 (350), if NO, the algorithm 300 determines if the car is moving (wheels are turning or GPS position is changing) (360). If it is determined in step 320 that the car door is not legitimately opened, the algorithm 300 proceeds directly to step 360. If it is determined in step 360 that the car is moving (YES), the algorithm 300 displays the message "Stolen Car" or "Call Police" on the LED matrix (370).

[0019] FIG. 4 shows a rear perspective view of the vehicle after the alarm has been triggered. If a theft is detected, the rear LED matrix panel may show information, i.e. "Stolen Vehicle", when the vehicle is moving. FIG. 4 shows the Stolen Vehicle message only at the center where the driver of the vehicle cannot see the message. This message may flash alternately with the message "Call Police". In case of a theft, optional locator lights on the side of the vehicle may project the information "Stolen Vehicle" onto the road surface. This message may flash alternately with the message "Call Police".

[0020] FIG. 5A shows a front view of a vehicle with an LED matrix display in the front grille and an example of the front view of the vehicle after an alarm has been triggered. If a theft is detected, the center LED matrix panel at the front of the vehicle will show the information "Stolen Vehicle" when the vehicle is moving. This message may flash alternately with the message "Call Police."

[0021] FIG 5B shows a front view of the vehicle of FIG 5A with the text shown on the display spelled out backwards. In this example, the words "Stolen Vehicle" are displayed rearward so that they can be properly read by the driver of a motor vehicle traveling in front of the displayed vehicle when the driver views the display through a rearview mirror. The message text may flash alternately between the forward spelling (FIG 5A) and the backward spelling (FIG 5B).

[0022] FIG. 6 shows a schematic diagram illustrating a vehicle security device 600. The vehicle security device 600 includes a control circuit 602, a detection circuit 618, an alarm clearing circuit 606, a timing circuit 608, a display alarm circuit 610, and a primary alarm circuit 622. The control circuit 602 is coupled to the detection circuit 618, the alarm clearing circuit 606, the timing circuit 608, the display alarm circuit 610, and the primary alarm circuit 622. The control circuit 602 may be coupled to a zoned computer 612 that sits on a vehicle backbone. In one embodiment, the control circuit 602, the detection circuit 618, the display alarm circuit 610, and the primary alarm circuit 622 may be integrated into one housing to form the vehicle security device 600. The control circuit 602 may be, for example, but not limited to, a microcontroller or a microprocessor. In this embodiment, a user may place the vehicle security device 600 in any suitable location inside or outside the vehicle. In another aspect, the control circuit 602, detection circuit 618, display alarm circuit 610, and primary alarm circuit 622 of the vehicle security device 600 may be separate components. The alarm disabling circuit 606 may be coupled to the control circuit 602 to allow the alarm to be deactivated or turned off. The alarm disabling circuit 606 may be coupled to an alarm disabling actuator 620 that deactivates the alarm actuator. In this aspect, a user may install separate components in multiple locations inside or outside the vehicle. Alternatively, each component or circuit may be partially integrated and partially separated.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 6, the detection circuit 618 is in communication with the theft event sensor 604. The detection circuit 618 is responsive to the theft event sensor 604 to detect at least one event indicative of theft of the vehicle, such as an unauthorized door being opened, a broken window, unauthorized movement of the vehicle, or an unauthorized attempt to start or control the engine. The event sensor can be, for example, but not limited to, a collection of vibration sensors, Hall sensors, pressure sensors, gyroscopes, or Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) devices. The detected theft-indicative event can be, for example, but not limited to, vehicle movement, vehicle motion, vehicle acceleration, door opening, vehicle seat occupancy, or unauthorized ignition, or an unauthorized attempt to operate any type of vehicle control, including the vehicle's human-machine interface. For example, when the vehicle moves, the theft event sensor 604 (vibration sensor, gyroscope, or GPS device) may be triggered to output a signal to the detection circuit 618, and in response, the detection circuit 618 may determine that an event indicative of theft has been detected. Also, when a door is illegally opened, the theft event sensor 604 (vibration sensor and / or Hall sensor) may be triggered to output a signal to the detection circuit 618, and in response, the detection circuit 618 may determine that an event indicative of theft has been detected. Furthermore, when a person is seated in the vehicle seat, the theft event sensor 604 (vibration sensor and / or pressure sensor) may be triggered to output a signal to the detection circuit 618, and in response, the detection circuit 618 may determine that an event indicative of theft has been detected. The detection circuit 618 may be integrated into the control circuit 602.

[0024] The control circuit 602 may output an alarm activation signal to the primary alarm circuit 622 and the display alarm circuit 610 in response to determining that an event indicative of theft has been detected. The primary alarm circuit 622 outputs a signal to the primary alarm actuator 614 in response to the alarm activation signal. The primary alarm actuator 614 may activate, without limitation, audible and visual alarms as known in anti-theft systems. For example, an audible alarm may include sounding a horn or issuing a recorded message via a speaker, and a visual alarm may include flashing headlights, running lights, reverse lights, turn signals, or interior lights. The primary alarm may continue until deactivated by a remote control, or key, or a timer expiry, or by entering a password / fingerprint via the vehicle's human-machine interface via the alarm disarm circuit 606. Also, the intensity of the primary alarm output by the primary alarm actuator 614 is variable. For example, the warning alarms can be audible alarms with different volumes, visual alarms with different light colors or different brightness, or seat vibration alarms with different vibration intensities.

[0025] Furthermore, when the detection circuit 618 detects an event indicative of theft, the control circuit 602 sends an alarm activation signal to the display alarm circuit 610, which may be integrated in the control circuit itself. In response to the alarm activation signal, the display alarm circuit 610 notifies the central computer (FIG. 1) of the theft attempt via a zone type computer connected to the control circuit of the vehicle security device 600 via the vehicle backbone. The central computer processes this notification via the algorithm shown in FIG. 2. The central computer considers the event indicative of theft to remain active until it is deactivated by entering a password / fingerprint via the vehicle's human-machine interface.

[0026] The alarm deactivation circuit 606 may accept a deactivation signal from an alarm deactivation actuator 620 (e.g., a remote control unit or a key) to deactivate the alarm output by the primary alarm circuit 622. Specifically, after the primary alarm circuit 622 outputs the respective alarm signal, the vehicle owner or any authorized person of the vehicle may determine that the vehicle has not been stolen and resolve the event indicating theft by deactivating the primary alarm system, for example, via a remote control unit or a key. At this point, the user may enter the vehicle without the primary alarm system being deactivated. After the user occupies the driver's seat, the vehicle's HMI (Human Machine Interface) will ask the user to verify himself / herself by entering a passcode / fingerprint / face recognition / voice recognition / retina recognition or by using any other available biometric authentication. If the user can reliably identify himself / herself, the central computer deactivates the visual distributed alarm system by resetting the flag "theft_on-going" (Figure 3). This two-step authentication increases the security of the vehicle in case an unauthorized user can override the first authentication step and gain access to the vehicle without deactivating the primary alarm.

[0027] The vehicle security device 600 may also include timing circuitry 608 for time stamping events indicative of theft and alarm activation signals. Authorized personnel may retrieve the time stamps.

[0028] Each of the circuits shown in FIG. 6 may be implemented by instructions in a storage medium for execution by a processor, a function, a library call, a subroutine, a shared library, software as a service, an analog circuit, a digital circuit, control logic, a digital logic circuit programmed through a hardware description language, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a programmable logic device (PLD), or any suitable combination thereof, or any other suitable mechanism, whether in a single device or distributed across several devices.

[0029] FIG. 7 illustrates a head-up display in a rearview window that displays a message to the surroundings outside the vehicle, but not to the vehicle occupants. The head-up display in a rearview window (or any other window) may include an organic light emitting diode (OLED) screen positioned in contact with the window. The OLED screen may include a screen portion used to display "STOLEN CAR" or "CALL POLICE". A transparent screen may allow the vehicle occupants to see through the window without seeing the display of the message, while a person outside the vehicle may see the display of the message. Alternatively, a camera display of a rear view of the automobile may be presented inside the display to prevent the vehicle occupants from seeing the display of "STOLEN CAR" or "CALL POLICE" that is projected for the person outside the vehicle to see. The rear window of the vehicle may be a substantially transparent window head-up display that includes luminescent particles or microstructures on the glass, allowing for a luminescent display while still allowing vision through the window. The head-up display message may be projected onto the rear windshield.

[0030] The window may be in the form of an insulating glass unit having an electrochromic device, a transparent display, and a controller for controlling the optical states of the electrochromic device and the transparent display. The controller may adjust the transparent display between a substantially transparent optical state and a substantially opaque optical state. The display may be pixelated to allow a text or graphic message to be displayed. The transparent display may be an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display. The OLED display may display a message to the external environment.

[0031] The transparent display may be an electrowetting display having a plurality of pixels, each pixel having at least one cell that can oscillate between a transparent state and an opaque state. The cells may oscillate at a frequency of about 30 Hertz to about 60 Hertz. The pixels may have cells that can be substantially white (or substantially black) in the opaque state. If the pixels of the electrowetting display can be turned white (or other light color), the window may include a projector that projects an image onto the electrowetting display. Some of the pixels of the electrowetting display may include multiple cells that provide different colors in the opaque state.

[0032] A transparent display in a vehicle window may be a passive coating that is substantially transparent to a viewer but reflects projected light to form an image. The window may include a projector that projects an image onto the transparent display. The projector may optionally be located on or within a frame configured to hold the window, or the window may include a light guide that directs the image from the projector to the transparent display.

[0033] The rear windshield head-up display may be transparent to occupants within the vehicle while displaying messages outside the window to the vehicle's surroundings. Alternatively, the rear windshield head-up display may be opaque to occupants within the vehicle while displaying messages outside the window to the vehicle's surroundings. In either case, the messages displayed outside the window to the vehicle's surroundings may or may not be readable by occupants within the vehicle. The head-up display may be fully integrated into the rear windshield.

[0034] 8 shows a flow chart of a method for providing a visual notification to an individual outside a vehicle that a vehicle theft is in progress. The method detects whether a theft event has occurred (801). If a theft event is detected, the method detects a theft event signal from a theft event sensor (802). The method then sends a primary alarm signal to a primary alarm actuator (803). The primary alarm actuator is then activated (804). The method then sends a display alarm signal to a display alarm actuator (805). The display alarm actuator is then activated (806).

[0035] The vehicle security device is connected to the vehicle's backbone network and has the potential to communicate with other network nodes.

[0036] Although embodiments have been described above, other variations and embodiments may be made from this disclosure without departing from the spirit and scope of these disclosed embodiments.

Claims

1. 1. A system comprising: a theft event sensor; A primary alarm actuator; A display alarm actuator; 1. A vehicle security device, comprising: receiving a theft event signal from the theft event sensor; transmitting a primary alarm signal to said primary alarm actuator; a vehicle security device for transmitting a display alert signal to the display alert actuator.

2. The vehicle security device comprises: a detection circuit for receiving a theft event signal from the theft event sensor; a primary alarm circuit for transmitting a primary alarm signal to the vehicle alarm actuator; a display alarm circuit for transmitting a display alarm signal to said central computer; 2. The security system of claim 1, further comprising: a control circuit in communication with said detection circuit, said primary alarm circuit, and said display alarm circuit.

3. The system of claim 1 or 2, wherein the theft event sensor comprises a vibration sensor, a Hall sensor, a pressure sensor, a gyroscope, or a GPS device.

4. The system of claim 1 or 2, wherein the theft event sensors include a vehicle displacement sensor, a vehicle motion sensor, a vehicle acceleration sensor, a door opening sensor, a vehicle seat occupancy sensor, and an ignition tamper sensor.

5. 3. The system of claim 1 or 2, wherein the primary alarm actuator includes an audible alarm or a visual alarm, the audible alarm being selected from a horn or a speaker, and the visual alarm being a headlight, a running light, a back-up light, a turn signal light, or an interior light.

6. 3. The system of claim 1 or 2, wherein the display warning actuator comprises at least an LED or OLED matrix display on the exterior of the vehicle.

7. 3. The system of claim 1 or 2, wherein the display warning actuator comprises a projector of light from the vehicle to a surface that is not part of the vehicle.

8. 3. The system of claim 1 or 2, wherein the display warning actuator comprises a head-up display in a vehicle window.

9. 3. A system as claimed in claim 1 or 2, comprising an alarm disarm actuator, said vehicle security device being in communication with said alarm disarm actuator for receiving an alarm disarm signal from said alarm disarm actuator.

10. 1. A system comprising: a theft event sensor; A vehicle alarm actuator; A vehicle display actuator; a vehicle security device in signal communication with a vehicle event sensor, the vehicle alarm actuator, and the vehicle display actuator; A non-transitory machine-readable medium containing instructions that, when loaded and executed by the vehicle security device, cause the vehicle security device to: detecting a theft event signal from the theft event sensor; transmitting a primary alarm signal to said primary alarm actuator; a non-transitory machine-readable medium configured to transmit a display alert signal to the display alert actuator.

11. The vehicle security device comprises: a detection circuit for receiving a theft event signal from the vehicle theft event sensor; a primary alarm circuit for transmitting a primary alarm signal to the vehicle alarm actuator; a display alert circuit for transmitting a display alert signal to the vehicle display actuator; 11. The system of claim 10, further comprising: a control circuit for communicating with said detection circuit, said primary alarm circuit, and said display alarm circuit.

12. The system of claim 10 or 11, wherein the vehicle theft event sensor comprises a sensor selected from a vibration sensor, a Hall sensor, a pressure sensor, a gyroscope, and a GPS device.

13. 12. The system of claim 10 or 11, wherein the primary alarm actuators include an audio alarm selected from a horn and a speaker, and an optical alarm selected from headlights, running lights, reverse lights, turn signals, and interior lights.

14. 12. A system as claimed in claim 10 or 11, wherein the display warning actuator comprises an LED or OLED matrix display on the exterior of the vehicle.

15. 12. A system as claimed in claim 10 or 11, wherein the display warning actuator comprises a projector of light from the vehicle onto a surface which is not part of the vehicle.

16. 12. A system as claimed in claim 10 or 11, wherein the display warning actuator comprises a head-up display in a window of a vehicle.

17. 1. A method comprising: Detecting a vehicle theft event; detecting a theft event signal from a theft event sensor; transmitting a primary alarm signal to a primary alarm actuator; activating the primary alarm actuator; sending a display alert signal to a display alert actuator; and actuating the display alert actuator.

18. processing the theft event signal with a vehicle security device; generating said primary alarm signal using said vehicle security device; and generating said display alarm signal with said vehicle security device.

19. 19. A method according to claim 17 or 18, comprising disabling the primary alarm actuator or the display alarm actuator.

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